The Courtship
by Akora Felstream
Summary: Based off a song I heard called "The Devil's Courtship". Just a fun little story I thought of. Rated T for I think 2 words of language? No pairing, not really. Only characters present though are of course Rachel and Al.


I know it's been a while since I posted anything. I'm a terrible person, I know, I know. I had a visit from my muse though while listening to a song called 'The Devil's Courtship' and it just begged to be told. So, here it is. May not be one of my best works since I was so determined to just get it all down. Plus I haven't slept yet and it's getting close to 24 hours now slowly... Insomnia... she is a cruel heartless bitch. Anyways, I hope you like this and I promise when Yule get's past I'll try and work on getting "A Demon World" back up and going. As an apology, I'll review the rest of "Carnival des Demons" and get it all up in one go. I'm sorry! Don't hate me! Now then, enjoy!  


* * *

I was dreaming. I had no doubts of this fact whatsoever. How did I know? It wasn't hard to guess. I sat on a fallen tree wearing an elegant white dress that left most of my arms bare. I was waiting for something, or someone, and I was anxious.

It was growing dark around me. There was a tick mist forming as the sun started to disappear beyond the tall lazy trees that towered around me. A wind carried a sound to me, like distant thunder that held the threat of rain upon me if I waited much longer.

The sound of thunder grew louder, closer, and the closer it grew, the more the sound of it seemed to change. It wasn't thunder at all, at least not the thunder that is made by the fury of nature. It was the thundering of hooves that made its way towards me. It wasn't long before a great black steed came into view baring a rider on its back. The man looked familiar though I couldn't really see his face. Not that it was an obscured face, but more like the more I concentrated on trying to see it the more I couldn't make out the features. I decided not to worry about it now. It was a dream after all. I was simply not supposed to see the man's face. I could accept that.

The giant beast of a horse pulled to a stop before me and the rider swung from his perch upon its broad back. With an almost liquid grace the man came and knelt before me capturing my hands in his and kissing the knuckles passionately. Was this what I was waiting for? Was it some lover that I couldn't even remember much less see his face? I had no answer.

He spoke and his voice was sweet and soothing, pouring charm and I couldn't help but instantly distrust it. "Will you not away with me, ma dear?" The accent was strange to me, I couldn't place it, but it had a sense of power to it, something ancient that had been lost in today's day and age.

My own voice surprised me as I answered, "I canna' away with you, ma dear." The same accent, but I could not hold that same sense of whatever it was the man before me held.

He smiled a beautiful smile and I saw perfect straight white teeth past his kissable lips and I felt my cheeks blaze. I could see his eyes now, deep brown pools flecked with a lighter brown almost golden, but just a few shades too dark. "I'll buy you a pennyworth o' priens, if that be the way true love begins, if ye'll away with me, ma dear."

I felt a sad smile touch my lips, though I had no idea what it was he was talking about. Best to let him down gently. "Ye can ha'e your pennyworth o' priens, though that be the way true love begins, for I'll ne'er away with you ma dear."

He brought my hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss into the palm making my heart flitter in my chest. His voice was soft, deep and breathy, "I'll buy you a brass snuff box, nine times opened, nine times locked, if you'll away with me ma dear."

Carefully I pulled my hand away and tried again. "I don't care for your brass snuff box, nine times opened, nine times locked, for I'll ne'er away with you ma dear." I tried to use my eyes to tell him 'no'. Some man just can't see the obvious though.

He stood and paced away a few steps before turning that dazzling smile to me once again. "I'll buy you a silken goon, wi' nine stripes up and nine stripes doon, if you'll away with me ma dear."

Well, it was a better offer. A silken gown. I suppose the stripes were in style in this period of time. Still, I didn't think that I should give in just for a pretty dress. "You can ha'e your silken goon, wi' nine stripes up and nine stripes doon, for I'll ne'er away with you ma dear."

He started pacing again, thinking furiously before he turned back to me, his eyes pleading with me silently. "I'll buy you a nine stringed bell, ta call yer maid whene'er you will, if you'll away with me ma dear."

That sounded like something. To have a bell to ring and be waited on hand and foot whenever I wanted, but still, I couldn't say yes. There had to be some kind of catch for such generous offers. "I'll na ha'e your nine stringed bell, ta call me maid whene'er I will, for I'll ne'er away with you ma dear."

A look of pure anguish crossed his face and once again he knelt before me beseechingly. "I'll gi'e you a kist of gold, ta comfort you when you are old, if you'll away with me ma dear." With that, he brought out a solid gold wedding band and held it up for me.

Now this, I could agree to. This man offered me many splendid gifts, but finally he had offered me the one gift that I would take gladly. "These are fine words you say, so mount up lad you've won the day ma dear."

He took me into his arms and nearly crushed me with the strength of his arms. Within moments I was upon that great black steed with my soon to be love in front of me to maneuver the horse. We had far to go it felt like, but I didn't care. When I was not looking around at the never ending trees I was grinning down at the golden band on my finger. It was on one of these occasions when I saw it. The foot that sat snug in the stirrup of the saddle held a cloven heel. My voice was breathy with fear, "I rue I came wi' you… I rue I came wi' you…"

His grip tightened on my arm around his waist, the voice that I had come to adore changed into something else, something dark and dangerous; dominating and demanding. "I'll grip you hard and fast. Gold won your heart at last, and I'll ne'er part wi' you ma dear. Ne'er shall I part wi' you."

As the horse galloped along, the wind roaring in my ears I could barely make out my screaming voice. "I rue I came wi you! I rue I came wi' you!"

I awoke in my warm beautiful church. I was still lying on the couch where I must have fallen asleep watching Pride and Prejudice. That would explain the clothes at least. But who was the man? He had been so familiar to me, but the dream was fading fast as I tried to recall the darkness of his eyes. I had a moments warning before my nose wrinkled up and I sneezed. Groaning I rolled off the couch and onto my feet heading towards the kitchen to retrieve my mirror. The sun was still up barely and I was getting calls already. This wasn't even the damn demons night. What could he want?

I pulled the hauntingly beautiful mirror out from under the counter, placed my fingers accordingly and closed my eyes drawing from the line spindled in my chi just enough to answer. "_What do you want?_"

I had a glimpse of Al sitting cross legged at the great stone hearth in the kitchen. He was smiling and he had a mixture of amusement and annoyance about him. "_My, my, does a teacher need a reason to check up on his favorite student?"_

I snorted "_You're full of it, Al Now just tell me what you want so I can go."_

"_So eager to get back to your dreams, itchy witch?"_ he asked teasingly.

That made me stop and wonder. He could feel it and it made him smile both out loud and across the channel. "_Oh, I almost had you my itchy witch, I was so close. And here I was thinking that I had to make you cake." _That smile that I had fallen in love with in my dreams flashed and my heart stopped. _"Now I know that all one has to do is dangle a bit of gold before you and you'll come a-runnin!"_

He laughed again and then the line went dead. It took a lot of self restraint to not throw the mirror across the room, but I restrained by digging my nails so hard into my palms that I could feel it cut into skin. That son of a bitch had invaded my dreams while I was off holy ground. What had he meant by "I almost had you"? Was there something horrible waiting for me at the end of that ride if I hadn't woken up? I had no answers. Only one person did. Well, one demon.

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Pretty short, I know, but I find a lot of my best works are one shots. Just look at all of them if you don't believe me! I won't be adding onto this story and it's not set at any point in the series beyond the point where Al has taken on Rachel as student. Any who, hope you liked.


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